I just read something shocking and I want to share it with you. I have no doubt you will find it as fascinating as I did, and that it will change your perspective as it changed mine. I'm not sure who gathered this information, so I don't know whom to credit or I would happily do so. Here goes.
If you could fit the entire population of the world into a village consisting of 100 people, maintaining the proportions of all the people living on the Earth, that village would be made up of:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Americans (North, Central and South)
8 Africans
There would be:
52 women and 48 men
30 Caucasians and 70 non-Caucasians
30 Christians and 70 non-Christians
89 heterosexuals and 11 homosexuals
6 people would possess 59% of the wealth and they would all come from the USA
80 would be in poverty
70 would be illiterate
50 would suffer from hunger and malnutrition
1 would be dying
1 would be being born
1 would own a computer
1 (yes, only one) would have a university degree
Consider the following:
If you woke up this morning in good health, you are better off than the one million people who won't live through the week.
If you have never experienced the horror of war, the solitude of prison, the pain of torture, are not close to death or starvation, then you are better off than 500 million people.
If you can go to your place of worship without fear that someone will assault or kill you, then you are more fortunate than 3 billion people.
If you have a full fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are wealthier than 75% of the world's population.
If you currently have money in the bank, in your wallet and a few coins in your purse, you are one of 8 of the privileged few among the 100 people in the world.
If your parents are still alive and still married, you are a rare individual.
If you can read this post, you are extremely fortunate because you aren't one of the 2 billion people who can't read.
Amazing stuff, isn't it? My question for you is how has this information changed your perspective. Please be sure and leave me a comment. I'm genuinely curious. Thanks!
Revive my soul
2 weeks ago
4 comments:
Except for the point of origin and obvious things like 'computer', do you think these figures are much different than 2,000 years ago?
My comment is "There is nothing new under the sun..."
-Mary Lou
Good point ML. I hadn't thought of that. I wonder where the 59% of wealth would have been back then? But now that I write that, I DO think the demographics have changed somewhat due to how overwhelmingly blessed America has been over the course of its fairly short life span.
I might still die tomorrow, you know. I could be hit by a bus. I wonder how many people ACTUALLY get hit by buses?
My daughter left her bag in Burger King and it was taken, she was very upset. Later that day we listened to the news and heard of a little girl and her grandfather being swept to their death by a freak wave. She realised her lose was insignificant, things can be replaced. Cherish life and be thankful for all you are blessed with.
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